Electrical system for cattle stalls



Oct. 14., 1947. 1 J, HANTZ ELECTRICAL SYSTEM FOR CATTLE sTALLs z'sheets-'sheet 1 Filed Jan. 5, 194e 3mm/vbo@ Joseph d. /70/7 fz Oct. 14, 1947. .1. J. HANTZ ELECTRICAL SYSTEM FOR CATTLE STAKL-LS Filed Jan. 5,- 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Oct. 14, 1947 UNITED sTATEs PATENT OFFICE 2,428,875 ELECTRICAL SYSTEM FDR CATTLE STALLS Joseph J. Hantz, Wausau, Wis.

1946, Serial No. 639,451

(Cl. 11B-27) Application January 5,

6 Claims.

This invention relates to an electrical system for use in cattle stalls and it consists in the constructions, arrangements and combinations herein described and claimed.

It is an object of the invention to provide a simple and practical means to insure deposit of droppings from the animals into a gutter provided at the rear of the stalls, enabling the maintenance of a more sanitary condition of the cattle and the stalls.

More specically, it is an object or the invention to provide an electrical system consisting of an adjustable contact member for each stall, the latter being so positioned as to be contacted by the back of an animal just before evacuation, thereby causing the animal to step backwardly in the direction of the gutter.

It is also an object of the invention to provide a simple yet practical, vertically adjustable contact member so vas to be accommodatable to cattle of varying heights.

Additional objects, advantages and features of invention will be apparent from the following description considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, wherein Figure 1 is a rear elevation of a portion of a cattle barn having my system installed.

Figure 2 is a side elevation thereof.r

Figure 3 is a front view of the adjustable contact member.

Figure 4 is a view at right angles thereto.

Figure 5 is a cross section on the line 5-5 of Figure 3.

Figure 6 is a cross Figure 4.

Attention is first invited to Figures 1 and 2 wherein a cattle barn Ii! is shown including a plurality of stalls Il to the rear of which there is formed a disposal gutter I2, Aas is custo-mary. The stalls II are dened by individual stanchions I3 which will include means for conning the animals to their individual stalls, details thereof not being shown, since they form no part of the present invention, and it is suicient to say that the confining means is of such construction as to permit the cattle to move forwardly and backwardly, as well as to lie down in the stall.

In the rafters I4 of the barn structure respective insulators I5 are secured for support of a noninsulated wire IB, one terminal end of which is anchored to an insulator I5' secured in an end rafter I4', and grounded as at I1. As shown in Figure 1, the other end of the wire is secured to an insulator I5", which in turn is connected to a turn-buckle I8 anchored to an end raiter I4".

ection on vthe line 6-6 of the lead 2l a switch `22 is installed.

The lead 2l and lead I1' of the ground line are insulated. Supported from the wire I6 andl electrically connected therewith a plurality cicontact members 23 are positioned, each being disposed so as to normally occupy a location centrally of each stalland at a suitable vertical height.

Cattle vary in size and it is therefore necessary and particularly as to height, that the contact `members may be adjusted to each individual animal, the animals occupying the same stall over a period of time. It is therefore only necessary to make one adjustmentof the contact member for a given animal.

For an understanding of the construction of the contact members, attention is invited to Figures 3 to 6 inclusive. An L-shaped bracket 2d is employed having right angular members 25 and 25, each of which is apertured. The aperture of the extension 25 receives the wire It therethrough, while the aperture of the extension 2G has a rod 21 mounted therein, the upper end of the rod 21 having an enlargement 28 for retaining the rod within the aperture in a suspended position. Slightly below the extension 26 the rod is formed with a stop 29 limiting upward movement of the rod. The lower end of the rod 21 is formed with a horizontally disposed eyelet 3l) and receives therethrough a rod 3l which extends parallel to the rod 21 and in spaced relation thereto, the upper end of the rod 3I having a horizontally disposed eyelet 32 and receiving the rod 21 therethrough. From the description thus far, it will be seen that the rods 21, and 3l are interconnected in slidable relation, and in order that an adjustment may be maintained, a clamp device 33 is employed. As clearly shown in Figure 6, the clamp comprises a threaded bolt 34 upon which there is mounted a upon one side of the rods 21 and 3| with the shank of the bolt extended between the rods 21 and 3|. A clamp washer 36 is engaged upon the shank of the bolt, and includes a pair of angular washer 35 adapted to engage A extensions 31 bent so as to contact the rods 21 and 3l at an angle to the longitudinal aXis of the shank of the bolt. A wing nut 38 is engaged upon the threaded shank of the bolt and when tightened will draw the opposed washers 35 and 36 into tight engagement upon the rods 21 and 3 I;

The rod 3l has the lower end thereof bent into triangular formation dening a lower horizontal contact bar 39, of substantial horizontal width for a purpose as will presently appear.

In the use of the device, in a dairy barn, for instance, where a high degree of sanitation must be maintained, a contact member 23 is suspendedl from the wire l so as to occupy a vertical medial position of each stall. The rod 3| is vertically adjusted by loosening the thumb screw 38 so that the body contact bar 39 is positioned a short distance above the back of the animal which will occupy that particular stall. The clamp device 33 is then tightened. It will be understood that the contact members will be located in a forward position within the stalls so that Contact with the bar 3S will be at a forward portion of the animal normally. Normally, the animal cannot contact the bar 39, but in the act of evacuation, the back of the animal is bumped into engagement with the bar 3Q, whereupon a slight electrical shock will cause the animal to back from the stall the necessary distance and' thus maintain the stall in a clean condition.

In actual practice, it has been found that after a few days use ofV the device, the animals will learn to occupy rearward positions so,A as to not engage the contacts during evacuation and the switch 22 may be actuated to o pen the circuit.

t will also bev apparent that the contact members 23 may be movedA longitudinally on the wire IS, so as to not interfere with a workman when cleaning the stalls.

While I have shown and described a preferred formof the device, this is by way of illustration only, and I consider as my own allv such modifications in construction as fairly fall' within the scape of' the appended claims.

I. claim l'. The combination of a stall anda gutter, of an electrical wire above the stall at a position forwardly in the stall, and

tact member is longitudinally movable on said wire.

3. A contact member for use in an animal stall comprising a suspension bracket having a pair of angular apertured extensions, one of said apertures receiving a loare electrical wire therethrough, the aperture of the other extension having a rod suspended therethrough, a rod arranged in parallel relation to the first rod and extending therebelow, means for adjusting the rods and securing them together in extended relation and said last named rod having a horizontal contact bar at the lower end thereof.

4. A contact member for use in an animal stall, comprising a suspension bracket having a pair of angular apertured extensions, one of said apertures receiving a bare electrical wire therethrough, the aperture of the other extension having a rod suspended therethrough, said rod having an eyelet at the lower end, a rod threaded through said eyelet and having an eyelet for reception of the first rod, said rods being in spaced parallel relation, a clamping means engageable with said rods for holding them in adjusted positions, and said last named rod having a horizontal contact bar at the lower end thereof.

5. The structure of claim 4, in which the clamping means consists of a bolt extended between said rods, a washer on said bolt in engagement with the rods, a clamp plate on said. bolt in 0pposed relation to the washer and a thumb nut on the boltto draw the washer and' clamping plate into gripping engagement, with the rods.

6'. A contact member for use in an animal stall comprising a suspension bracket having means for reception of a bare electrical wire there- REFERENCES CITED The following' references areA of. recordl in the nie of this patent:

UN Tlf-ED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,411,312. Swensen Apr. 4, 1922 1,512,610 Kolb Oct. 2l, 1924 

